Rishi Sunak’s new-look Cabinet met for the first time at 9.30am on Wednesday morning.
Pictures from the meeting showed Mr Sunak sat next to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, who was re-appointed on Tuesday.
It comes a day after the new Prime Minister was officially appointed during an audience with King Charles III.
While later on Tuesday, Mr Sunak culled nearly a dozen of Liz Truss’s top-tier ministers, including Jacob Rees-Mogg, while reviving the careers of a host of big names, including Suella Braverman, Dominic Raab and Michael Gove.
Rishi Sunak
Stefan Rousseau
A No 10 source said that the new Cabinet “brings the talents of the party together” and that it reflects a “unified party”.
Mr Raab won the positions of Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, roles he held under Boris Johnson before being sacked by Ms Truss.
Ms Braverman returned as Home Secretary six days after launching an attack on Ms Truss when she was forced from the role over a breach of the Ministerial Code.
The chief rebel behind Ms Truss’s U-turn on the top rate of income tax, Mr Gove returned to the Levelling Up Secretary role he was dismissed from after telling Mr Johnson to quit.
Steve Barclay, who supported both of Mr Sunak’s bids for the Tory leadership, became Health Secretary, returning to the role he lost under Ms Truss.
Grant Shapps was demoted from the top of the Home Office to Business Secretary to allow Ms Braverman’s return, as Kemi Badenoch clung on to Trade Secretary.
Penny Mordaunt came out of the reshuffle as Commons Leader, failing to win a promotion after she challenged Mr Sunak for the leadership.
Allies of Mr Sunak benefited, with Mel Stride appointed Work and Pensions Secretary and Oliver Dowden becoming Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, having resigned as party chairman after a disastrous double by-election loss under Mr Johnson.
Another ally of Mr Sunak, Mark Harper, was handed the role of Transport Secretary, while former Education Secretary Sir Gavin Williamson returns to Government as minister without portfolio in the Cabinet Office.
Therese Coffey, one of Ms Truss’s closest friends in Westminster, was demoted from deputy PM and health secretary to become Environment Secretary.
James Cleverly was kept on as Foreign Secretary and Ben Wallace as Defence Secretary, showing Mr Sunak was not entirely breaking with the past two administrations.
Simon Hart was brought in as Chief Whip to restore party discipline, with Mr Sunak having warned the party: “Unite or die.”
Kit Malthouse and Simon Clarke followed Mr Rees-Mogg out of the Cabinet as loyalists of Mr Johnson who stuck by Ms Truss.
Mr Sunak will face his first Prime Minister’s Questions later on Wednesday
Rishi Sunak's new Cabinet met for the first time on Wednesday
Stefan Rousseau
